


It’s the end of the world but we’ll go down swinging

by Hopefulwriter



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 17:50:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17472158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hopefulwriter/pseuds/Hopefulwriter
Summary: Felix woke up cold on the concrete ground one winter morning.





	It’s the end of the world but we’ll go down swinging

**Author's Note:**

> This was a realy fun one, even though I’ve never done anything with an apocalypse setting in this way before, it was a nice change but with parts of things that I’m used to. 
> 
> And as always I hope you like it and let me know what you think!

Felix woke up cold on the concrete ground one winter morning. He was in a dilapidated brick building, as sheltered as he can be, but he shivered as the cold bit at his exposed skin. He wrapped his arms around himself to uselessly counter the feeling. As he was coming round more from his drowsiness he was caught by the dirt on the wall, and the fading graffiti also reminding him of his situation. Honestly he was lucky to have even found a suitable place to sleep, what with the creatures that were slowly growing in numbers outside. 

He remembers hearing the news for the first time; he had been in his flat, relaxing on his couch and his phone had pinged with a notification. His brows had furrowed noticing that it wasn’t just a random text and widened as he read it. It had spoken of a widespread epidemic, and his focus had been completely on the text, rereading it just to make sure that it was real, he didn’t want it to be real. But it hadn’t changed, so he opened it, finding that the disease had spread through blood, most blood transfusions had ended in people getting seriously ill, violent without cause. That was the day that everything changed. The news had put everyone into a panic, the roads built up with cars as far as the eye could see, just trying to run away from it. But the couldn’t, no one could. 

Felix had tried the same. He still was, living from any shelter he could in a bid to outrun the creatures. He was glad to be on his own sometimes, he was okay with his own company, but the silence drags some days. it would be nice to speak to someone sometimes, when things get tough, but the most that he had of someone else is his soulmate mark. That mark is what keeps him going, keeps him motivated. It was something that everyone looked forward to; the meeting of the person that you are meant to spend the rest of your life with. It was said to be magical, the feeling of that first connection, and who wouldn’t love the thought of that?

He had packed his small blanket back into his backpack, eager to get moving again before they smelt him. He hated walking away from such a good shelter but he had no way to secure it and not much that he can do to defend himself. So he had to leave, without knowing where he was going to be able to put his head down tonight. 

The sound of twigs snapping around him as he walked through the dark wood was unnerving, to say the least. He always had to convince himself that it was an animal, that it was only him in the woods, so highly tuned to every little noise and he knew that he was only scaring himself. 

There was something else.

Noises that animals definitely didn’t make were coming from in the trees. Muttering and boots crunching had him on edge, speeding up slightly more to try and get out of the forest now. 

He’s almost out when shouts resonate from behind him, his breathing picks up. He’s scared, of course he is. His grip tightens on his red crowbar, he didn’t know when he’d got it out of his backpack but was glad for the assurance of the solid weight, should something come closer. It seems that he doesn’t need to wait, there where the recognisable noises of a creature behind him, the guttural panting of it, wheezy and horrible. Morbid curiosity sparks in him, almost begging to turn around, but he can’t, he knows that. He breaks into a sprint, looking resolutely ahead before a dull bang comes, scaring birds from their perches and into the air. It’s then that he turns, crowbar raised.

The creature is on the ground, dark blood pooling from its shoulder and onto the dirt. There are people too, one standing above it and the rest approaching, the guy looks up to him at that moment, and Felix can see his brows furrow. The blonds eyes widen at the sight of another person's gaze, something he hasn’t seen for weeks, if not months. “Who are you?” The guy asks him, accent plain in his voice, his eyes flit down to the body below him, just to make sure that it would stay there when he left.

The people come to the guys side, which gets Felix on the defensive slightly, just in case one of them don’t like him being there. “Felix,” he replies at length, eyeing them and their weapons.

“Jack,” the other returns, trying to be friendly, but Felix wouldn’t fall for it unless proven wrong, he’s come too far for that. “And these are my band of merry men,” Jack laughs, as if he doesn’t have a dead body at his feet.

Felix gives a small laugh in return, trying to play the part of a person that’s okay with the situation he’s currently in. “Well, I’d better go…” He says, feeling awkward.

Jack leans on his metal bat, looking hesitant to see Felix go. “Where are you staying?” 

If this just doesn’t scream suspicious… “I, I’ll find somewhere.”

“Why don’t you come with us? We’ve got plenty of room.”

“No, that’s fine. Thank you though,” Felix says, turning away from the group and expecting Jack to get the message.

“We’ve got plenty of food too,” Jack tries one more time.

That makes Felix pause, when was the last time he was able to eat without having to go on a search? He’ll go with them, but only for a night. “That would be great, thanks,” he says quietly, admitting defeat.

Jack gives him a warm smile as he comes over, the others already making their way back. He seems to have a double take at the weapon Felix is holding, then he laughs, “is that- is that a supreme crowbar? Seriously,” he says, sounding exasperated.

Felix turns it over in his hands as they walk side by side, revealing the small but garish logo. “It was the only substantial weapon I had in my house.” Felix likes Jack already.

The meal they put in front of him that night was nicer than he could remember any restaurants being, the taste exploding across his palette as he eats. The people seem nice too, considering the circumstances they’ve made the best of what they have. They live in a large two story brick building, boarded up and battened down; it’s probably the most secure building for miles, and Felix sleeps like a baby that night in the cot that they had set aside for him, not having to worry about anything.

That next morning is peaceful, the sun shining into the space without any curtains or blinds in its way. Felix examines the soulmark on his wrist absentmindedly, eyes following every curve of its pattern carefully, now that he has some downtime, his mind not filled with its usual buzz. He gets a knock on his door a while later and a voice informing him about breakfast, it startles him at first, so lost in his own word but he gets himself together and goes downstairs.

It turns out that breakfast is just as nice as the food they had given him last night, even though it was just the leftovers. He almost felt bad leaving, with how nice they had been to him, and he was just going to walk away. After the meal he went back up to his room, grabbing his backpack from the floor. He roots around inside it just to check that he’s got everything, and zips it back up once he’s finished. He almost feels like a child sneaking out after dark as he descends the stairs for the last time, bag slung over his shoulder and heavy steps on the old wood while everyone is elsewhere, hopefully giving him a chance to leave before anyone tries to dispute. 

He’s just closed the door behind himself. Turning and taking a couple of steps away, planning where he’s going to go from there, but a hand reaches out and grasps his arm, just missing his sleeve, so it sends a shock to him as the person touches his skin, making him gasp quietly while the person retracts their hand as if it shocked them too. After a second a voice comes from behind him, “where are you going?” 

It’s Jack, Felix can tell that straight away, and he’s glad that he isn’t now bonded to some random person. Because that’s the only thing that it could have been, although it didn’t feel ‘magical’ like he’d thought, there was no doubt of the connection he felt between himself and Jack. “I- I didn’t think that you’d want me to stay for longer than a night.” The excuse sounds weak, but it’s the best he can do.

“Why did you think that?” 

Jack doesn’t seem to notice the bond that had formed between them, even as Felix looks into his eyes once turned to him, there’s no recognition of it there and it scares him slightly. “I mean, there’s nothing you owe me. I’m just a stranger.”

Jack looks at him strangely. “I should hope we’re more than just strangers now,” he reasons. “Well, I hope we are.”

It seems that we’re not close enough for you to realise that we’re soulmates. Felix huffs slightly despite that thought. “I guess we are,” He says. 

Jack shifts his weight from foot to foot slightly. “So, does this mean I’ve convinced you to stay?”

“I don’t know, are you sure you’d even want me to?” He knows he’s pushing this but he just wants to hear that he’s wanted in Jacks space.

Jacks brows scrunch up. “Of cou- Yes, I want you to stay here,” he says with as much conviction as he can muster.

Even though Felix almost thinks better of it he says, “well, I guess I’m staying for a bit longer then.” And the decision is almost made for him.

After that the feeling between them feels a little bit, awkward. Like there’s something hanging in the space between them that they both never mention, of course Felix wants to, but he never feels like broaching it would be welcome. So he just tries to ignore it like Jack seems to be doing.

That method only lasts for so long. It comes to breaking point one day, frustrated with how heavy the air is around them Felix comes to a decision to approach Jack about their predicament. He goes to the other and quietly asks to speak with him in private, Jack invites him to his room with a curious expression and furrowed brows. They sit next to each other on the cot, Felix almost doesn’t know where to start but Jack asks him: “so, what did you want to speak to me about?”

Felix looks at his hands, feeling unusually nervous. “I- you remember when I was about to leave?” Even if it took awhile for him to get to his point at least this was a start. Jack looked at him and nodded in a go on, motion. “And you put your hand on my arm.”

“What are you gettin’ at?” Jack interjects quickly.

“Did you get a pain when we touched?” Surely Jack would know what he means. But as Jack doesn’t reply he obviously needs to clarify. “Because I did.”

Jack smiles unbelievingly. “You- you can’t be serious.”

Felix pulls up his sleeve for proof, exposing his mark to the air, though he knows it’s useless, if Jack didn’t acknowledge that they are soulmates on his own. “Don’t tell me you didn’t feel it,” he tries as he pulls his sleeve down, feeling slightly ashamed.

“But, we can’t be soulmates.” he sounds like he’s clutching at straws.

“Why?”

“We don’t live in a world that would allow people to have a soulmate bond anymore, there’s just no way. Relationships can’t develop or function, not with the creatures out there.” He says it with conviction, it’s something he truly believes.

If Jack has that in his head then nothing will convince him otherwise, he should have said that he just doesn’t want a soulmate instead of crumbling Felix's spirit completely. “If that’s what you think then I know I can’t change your mind.” 

As Felix picks himself up to leave Jack says, “I’m sorry.” Even though he sounds genuine Felix still leaves the room.

Felix almost wishes he hadn’t gone to Jack, the truth is worse in some ways than when he didn’t know where he stood with the other. He almost feels like he’s mourning what they have lost too. what they still could have, but Felix knows that Jack won’t change his mind, not with how strongly he refused to accept the bond. 

Felix feels strange around Jack; he felt like he has to keep his distance, like Jack would want him to. it’s even worse than before, so he spends most of his time in his room, it feels like he’s hiding, almost, shutting himself away unless needed for something. He’s debated leaving a few times too, it feels like he’s just taking up space, because Jack definitely won’t stop him this time. He has everything packed up again one day, intending to do just that when there’s a shout from downstairs. It sounds urgent and scared so he shoulders his bag, grabbing his crowbar to be safe and quickly descends the stairs.

He’s about to ask what’s going on but he can see that with his own eyes once he’s on the floor. The barricades are broken. Felix goes cold at the sight of the creatures making their way in. There’s blood on the floor, obviously from the person that had shouted, and Felix grips his crowbar tighter. He beats one over the head with it and calls, “they’re in!” 

He can’t keep them back. They’re too strong even with their weak looking frames. So he backs off slightly towards the stairs again, being careful not to trip over them as he goes.

“What’s going on? Why are they in?!” Jack asks him frantically.

“I- I don’t know,” Felix returns, watching them trip over themselves to get up the stairs all at once. He bats one with his crowbar when it gets too close as Jack makes sure everyone gets out, knocking on the doors loudly with a fist or his bat just to make sure the inhabitants get the message.

“I’ve got to make sure they get out safe,” Jack states, and Felix would have been touched by the hesitant look on his face had he been able to see it.

“I’ll stay here and fend them off until you are,” Felix gives him a meaningful look hearing his protests. “I’ll get out soon, promise.” He hears Jack turn tail and run into one of the rooms, and he just hopes he can keep that promise.

Fighting them off is easier said than done, but he tries his best until all of the noise in the bedrooms is gone and he backs into one of the bedrooms, firmly shutting the flimsy door behind him in the hopes of giving him time to have a chance to get out of the window. He slides the window up and keeps it stuck with a piece of wood that was propped against the wall to stop it sliding down just as the creatures bust down the door. He throws his bag and takes a breath before he jumps.

He aches everywhere from the fall but he knows he needs to get away before the creatures decide to jump out after him so he hastily grabs his bag and crowbar. He almost doesn’t remember getting to the foot of the tree that he’s resting his back against but he must have. The others didn’t call out to him and he doesn’t know where they are, but he just hopes they all got away safely.

This is what he wanted, he supposes as he drifts to sleep, he wanted this and now he’s got it.

 

He almost feels numb as he picks himself up intending to walk in the direction of nowhere. He knows that they will have given up on waiting for him by now, but he still finds himself walking in almost in the direction the house lies. In the back of his head he hopes that at least Jack would hold out for him, but he knows that he won’t have, he’s probably been waiting for Felix to leave anyway. He pushes the sour thought down and continues on his way.

The creatures seem to have dispersed from the building by the look he got of it from where he was hidden in the cover of the trees but he doesn’t want to chance going out into the open grass to check. He’s just glad that the others will hopefully be able to get back to their normality soon. 

He feels a hint of deja vous as he hears a rustling, so he goes slowly, just in case it actually is a creature this time. But he can hear a crackling fire that they definitely wouldn’t be able to make. He had to make the decision of whether to go back or not. He almost felt like he shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to go back, but then his gaze drags down to his mark, hidden behind his sleeve that reminds him of the reality of what going back brings. It brings a soulmate at arms length, one that doesn’t want anything to do with him. His mind fills with regret, hesitant to stay and to leave, but he hears footsteps crunching and a voice sigh, “still haven’t found him?” it’s Jack, and Felix almost wonders who they’ve lost.

“No. I just don’t know where he is,” another voice says. “It would be good if we even had an idea of the area, but…” 

“Nah, I know that you’ve done all you can. We’ll just have to keep our eyes out for any sighting of him.” Felix doesn’t know what to do, but he knows that he can’t be selfish, making them worry over him makes him feel too guilty to stay where he is. He just has to be strong, to step out and face them.

Their heads pick up to look into the leaves as he steps closer and he sees Jack's eyes widen as he comes into view. The Irishman stands and approaches him as if he’s a scared animal that would run back into the trees at any moment. “You-” He says in a gasp. He opens his arms to hug the blond, letting out a shaky breath once in his arms, “I- fuck, I thought I’d lost you. Christ Felix, where even were you?”

He can’t tell him that he intended not to come back, he won’t put that on his shoulders. “I just had to get away. I didn’t know where you guys went so I just found somewhere for the night, I’m okay. What about you guys? Did anyone get hurt?”

He feels Jack shake his head where it’s hidden in his shoulder. “No, we’re all fine, thanks to you anyway.”

They stay like that for a while, huddled into each other, not wanting to let go. “What would I have done if I’d lost you?” Jack says suddenly.

Felix huffs quietly. “I’m sure you’d be fine, life would go on.” 

Jack pulls away from him, looking him in the eyes. “Is that what you think? That I’d just leave you to rot somewhere and move on?” He questions. When Felix doesn’t dispute Jack gets an even sadder look in his eyes. “I’m so sorry I’ve made you think that, cause if I did ever lose you I don’t know what I’d do.”

Felix is lost for words, he doesn’t know how to reply to such passion for him. “Are- are you saying- but, you said before that…” he stutters.

“I was wrong. It might sound a bit abrupt or like I’m just telling you what you want to hear but I’m not, you’re not a compromise to me, and I feel stupid that I’m only realising this now, cause I hurt you so badly and I’m so fuckin’ sorry,” he says, getting it all of off of his chest. 

“You- honestly?” Felix asks incredulously. “Why are you saying this now?”

Jack lets out a sigh. “I think the thought of losing you made me realise how stupid I was for denying the bond, I just- I didn’t think that someone would want to be stuck with me, I didn’t ever count on being one of the lucky few who find their soulmate, I guess I didn’t want to then. But I know that I’ve got to grasp this opportunity with both hands, cause you can never tell what might happen, I know I’ll try my best to take care of you either way… that is, if you still want this?”

Felix has to refrain from jumping into his arms again. He feels elated beyond words, and a large smile appears on his face. The weight is free from his shoulders, the predicament that had drug him down is gone. “Of course I still want this, I’d have to be an idiot not to,” Felix insists quietly. “I mean, have you seen yourself?” 

Jack snorts. “You’re not to bad yerself,” he flirts, then moves himself closer to his soulmate, pulling him in.

Felix knows that whatever comes their way the will face it together, and come out of the other side stronger.

 

Jack and Felix are still together two years later, it was no question that they would be. The others couldn’t keep one from the other, they were glued at the hip and sickly sweet infatuated with each other. They were gratuitous with PDA, both of them wanting to show their affection in the form of large amounts of kisses. It made the others roll their eyes, they didn’t have anything wrong with it, but they certainly weren’t going to tell Jack and Felix that.

There’s a message that comes through on an old beat up radio that they had found a couple of weeks before, a deep voice comes through and says that there’s been a breakthrough in finding the cure, their voice is excited and quiet, as they tell the listener to wait for more information. They’re all excited at the prospect but hold doubts in the back of their mind that the information could be fake. Even so they have a small celebration, it’s the first time that they’ve ever got a glimpse of hope that things could actually go back to normal. All of them are happier than they’ve been for a long time, even with their doubts.

They keep a close eye on the radio after that, waiting and listening for any updates. One doesn’t come for a while, but when it does the voice on the other end is filled with relief, with elation beyond describing as he tells all that are gathered around the device what they’ve only dreamed of hearing; they’ve found something that could perhaps be the cure that they need, it only takes a trial run on a larger group of creatures, but the effects so far have been positive, stabilising their behaviour and effectively returning them back to people again. Jack and Felix catch each other’s eye once the voice has signed off, their eyes are filled with happy tears as they lean closer, holding each other tightly.

They can’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. That night they lay awake, neither one feeling like they can quiet their thoughts for long enough. “You awake?” Felix asks, keeping his voice hushed in case Jack had managed to fall asleep.

“Yeah, I’m just- i feel like I’ve just had the best news of my life. My minds just goin’ haywire,” he huffs quietly.

“Yeah, I know how you feel, it’s- I can’t believe that everything could go back to normal again.”

“I are you lookin’ forward to it?”

“Of course I am, there’s so much that I’d want to do with you if the cure works, but I’m just don’t want to build my expectations up to fall, you know?”

Jack hums. “Yeah, I get that, but I’ve gotta hold out hope, gotta keep positive that this is the light at the end of the tunnel that we’ve all been wishing for.” Jacks always been like that, always the practical one while keeping positive, it seems to come naturally to him and Felix couldn’t have wished for a better person to spend the rest of his life with. “And getting the chance to be with you in the ‘real world’ is what I can’t wait to experience.”

“You’re so soppy, I love it.”

“I love you too,” Jack smiles smugly.

Felix has to refrain himself from pushing Jack off the small cot that they share for that sarcasm.

There’s another announcement over the radio a week later. It seems that the larger scale tests that the voice had carried out worked just as well as the smaller ones had. They also said that the drug had been okayed for use outside of the lab. The good thing about the drug, the man had said, is that its airborne as soon as they’ve treated a group of the creatures inside an area, so the whole country would be affected by it within the next few weeks, and within the month the creatures would be cured.

They had cheered once the voice had faded out, all of them on a high and madly happy, even more so than the previous times, all they had to do was wait for the drug to take effect and they could then focus on rebuilding their lives.

That was the longest month within memory of living like they had, even the first hadn’t dragged as much as this one. They were all just waiting for another announcement and as it got to the end it felt like they were just holding their breath in anticipation. Most of them had been asleep one night when the girl that took the shift to sit by the radio had woken them up, saying there was a repeated message broadcasting across all of the frequencies announcing that it was safe to go outside, that the creatures had come back to themselves and won’t harm them. 

They hastily gathered their things, wanting to check if they really could walk outside again. They took the boards from the door, Felix using his crowbar to pry the nails away and he squinted as he saw the daylight first hand again, instead of through a window. Once through the door he walks out to check, telling the others to stay inside. Jack insists on coming with him though and he can’t argue, so he takes the other by the hand, waiting for any sights of the creatures that would have smelt them by now. But nothing comes, no sound of labored breathing or bear feet crunching the undergrowth.

“I- god, it’s clear, it’s true,” Jack stutters, awed. 

“Everything’s fine again.” When Felix turns to look at his soulmate he has tears beading and glistening in his eyes. He squeezes Jacks hand, hoping to comfort. 

The others walk out behind them, enjoying the peacefulness of the place for the first time. “What are we going to do now?” Jack asks him.

Felix smiles. “We can do everything, but I’d love to start with living together, when things settle back again.”

“I’d love that.” 

 

It does take a while, and it’s a lot harder than either of them had expected but the government had set up support to help people get back on their feet, and gain money by clearing up or rebuilding. Everybody in the group slowly worked their way towards their goal, and soon were leaving to move further towards it, it wasn’t easy seeing the people that you have spent such an amount of time with leave, but it was necessary and at least they promised to keep in touch. 

Even when they had managed to gain enough money to get their own flat the letters still came, and they were both grateful to know that the group was doing as well as they are. They still feel as comfortable with each other as they had before, nothing had changed except for their living conditions. In fact it gave them the opportunity to enjoy each other’s company even more, not having the weight of the creatures whereabouts on their minds, not having to worry that if they let each other go out then that might be the last time they see them. 

There are still reminders of that time though, of course there are. They don’t want to fully forget it either, that time made them stronger and realise that they are always stronger together.

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s it! Kudos and comments are always appreciated. And come see me over on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Hopefulwriter_) or alternatively on [Tumblr](https://hopeful--writer.tumblr.com)
> 
> I hope you have an awesome day/night!


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